Connector



J- LEIBOVITZ July 2, 1968 CONNECTOR Filed March 10, 1966 98 I00 97 IO]99 u Ill? 2| 25 29 32 I5 as 22 2s 30 I3 16 19 23 21 3| FIG.4

FIG.3

llO SI 35 "5 III I05 FIG.6

INVENTOR- JOSEPH LElBQVlT Z FIG.5

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,391,382 CONNECTOR Joseph Leibovitz, SanJose, Calif., assignor to General Micro-Electronics Inc., Santa Clara,Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 533,164Claims. (Cl. 339-174) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A connector forestablishing electrical connection between a microelectronic device anda circuit board. An electrically insulative body is formed with spacedlocking surfaces, and a cover formed With similarly spaced lockingsurfaces engages the locking surfaces of the body to secure the cover,and a device, to the body. The cover is flexible and resilient so as toflex into a bowed configuration intermediate the spaced locking surfaceswhen the cover is secured to the body. Leads are associated with theconnector so that a device clamped between the flexed cover and the bodyhas its lead wires pressed against the connector leads.

The present invention relates in general to electrical connectors, andmore particularly to an electrical connector adaptable for use withmicroelectronic devices.

An object of the present invention is to provide a connector adaptablefor use with a wide variety of flat pack microelectronic devices.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector thatachieves a tight, positive connection for a microelectronic device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector for amircoelectronic device that is easy to install.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector forestablishing an electrical connection between a flat packmicroelectronic device and a printed circuit board.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector for amicroelectronic device with a snap-on positive locking cover.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector formicroelectronic devices in which the lid thereof is pressed down forlocking and is maintained in tension for improved gripping action.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector formicroelectronic devices with a yieldable lid for contact press fitting.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent to one skilled in the art from the following descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the connector of the present inventionillustrated with a flat pack microelectronic device and a printedcircuit board.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the base of the connector of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the base shown in FIG. 2 with theconnector conductor leads mounted thereon.

FIG. 4 is an end elevation view of the base with the connector conductorleads mounted thereon.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cover of the connector of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 is an end elevation view of a flat pack semiconductor devicemounted within the connector of the present invention.

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a conventional printed circuit board 10 with aplurality of spaced conductor strips 3,391,382 Patented July 2, 1968"ice 11-32 fixedly secured thereon. A conventional flat packmicroelectronic device 35 is spaced above the printed circuit board 10and includes a plurality of device conductor leads 41-62, which aregenerally made of Kovar. The flat pack microelectronic device 35 ismounted within a connector 65 of the present invention, which includes aplurality of connector conductor leads 71-92 for establishing electricalconnections between the printed circuit board conductor strips 11-32 andthe device conductor leads 41-42. The connector conductor leads 71-92 inthe preferred embodiment are made from beryllium copper.

The connector 65 of the present invention comprises a body made ofsuitable insulating thermoplastic material. In the exemplary embodiment,the body 95 is made from Delrin or Celcon. As shown in FIG. 2, the body95 comprises a rectanguloid section 96 with an upper planar or flatsurface 97. Projecting from the section 96 with the upper surfacesthereof aligned with the flat surface 97 are shoulders 98 and 99. Theshoulders 98 and 99 extend lengthwise along the sides of the section 96.

Fixedly secured to the shoulders 98 and 99, respectively, are lockingmembers 100 and 101, respectively. The locking members 100 and 101project above the flat surface 97 and extend lengthwise of the section96 in parallel relation with the shoulders 98 and 99. As shown in FIGS.4 and 6, the locking members 100 and 101 are formed with the outerlengthwise walls thereof directed downwardly and inwardly so as to beangularly disposed relative to the shoulders 98 and 99 to form grippingor locking surfaces therewith. The shoulders 98 and 99, and the lockingmembers 100 and 101 may be made of the same material from which thesection 96 is formed and may be integrally formed therewith.

Formed in the locking members 100 and 101 along the upper walls thereofare parallel, spaced grooves to receive the connector conductor leads71-92. Between the shoulders 98 and 99 and the section 96 are formedholes (FIG. 2) to receive the connector conductor leads 71-92 forretaining the same in fixed relation within the body 95.

The connector conductor leads 71-92 have their intermediates sectionsextending along the side walls of the section 96. At the device endsthereof, the connector conductor leads 71-92 project outwardly withinthe grooves of the locking members 100 and 101 at right angles to theintermediate sections thereof. At the printed circuit ends, theconductor leads 71-92 project outwardly at even height with the lowerwall of the section 96 and at right angles to the intermediate sectionsthereof.

A cover or top 105 of the connector 65 is made of suitable thermoplasticmaterial. In the exemplary embodiment, the cover 105 is made from Lexan.According to the present invention, the cover or top 105 is moreflexible or has greater yieldability than does the body or base 95. Thecover 105 comprises flange walls 106 and 107. Joining the flange walls106 and 107 are confronting inwardly disposed locking walls 108 and 109,respectively, to form gripping or locking surfaces. The locking walls108 and 109 are downwardly and inwardly directed to form lengthwiselocking surfaces. The flange walls 106 and 107 are adapted to engage orconfront the upper surfaces of the shoulders 98 and 99. The lockingwalls 108 and 109 are adapted to engage the outer walls of the lockingmembers 100 and 101.

A reduced thickness in the cover 105 forms shoulders 110 and 111 whichare adapted to engage and confront the upper surfaces of the lockingmembers 100 and 101, respectively. A further reduced thickness in thecover 105 forms a recessed section 115.

In the use of the connector 65, the connector 65 is caused to adhere tothe circuit side of the printed circuit board 10 with the printedcircuit board ends of the connector conductor leads 71-92 soldered tothe printed circuit conductor strips 11-32, respectively. The flat packmicroelectronic device 35 is caused to seat on the fiat surface 97 ofthe body 95 with the device conductor leads 41-62 thereof disposedwithin the grooves of the locking members 100 and 101 to establishelectrical connections with the device ends of the connector conductorsleads 71-92, respectively without soldering or bonding.

Now, the cover 105 is placed above the body 95 with the recessed section115 above the fiat pack microelectronic device 35 and with the lockingwalls 108 and 109 aligned with the locking members 100 and 101,respectively. Thereupon, the cover 105 is pressed down manually to lockthe cover 105 onto the body 95 through contact press fitting. When thisoccurs, the locking walls 108 and 109 engage the locking members 100 and101, respectively, the shoulders 110 and 111 engage the upper surfacesof the locking members 100 and 101, respectively, and the flange walls106 and 107 engage the shoulders 98 and 99, respectively through theintermediation of confronting, contacting conductors.

It is to be observed from FIG. 6 that the cover 105 is bowed and isalways under tension. By virtue thereof, the gripping action between thebody 95 and the cover 105 is improved. To remove the cover 105 from thebody 95, the central portion of the cover 105 is pressed downwardlywhile a lever applies an upward force to the sides thereof.

It is to be understood that modifications and variations of theembodiment of the invention disclosed herein may be resorted to Withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A connector for establishing electrical connections comprising abody, said body being formed with a flat surface intermediate spacedapart locking members, said locking members being formed with conductorreceiving openings, a microelectronic device mounted on said flatsurface, said microelectronic device being formed with device conductorleads received by said openings in said locking members, a plurality ofconnector conductor leads received by said openings in said lockingmembers, and a cover formed with spaced apart locking surfaces forengaging the spaced apart locking members of said body to secure saidcover to said body and to hold said device and to urge said deviceconductor leads into electrical engagement with said connector conductorleads, said cover being more flexible than said body to yield into abowed configuration intermediate the spaced apart locking surface ofsaid cover thereby resiliently to secure said cover to said body.

2. A connector body for establishing electrical connections to amicroelectric device of the type having a main body portion and deviceleads extending laterally to opposite sides of said body portion, saidconnector body being formed with a central device-receiving portion andincluding spaced elongate locking members having openings for receivingthe device leads and outer wall portions directed angularly to formlocking surfaces, connector leads aligned with said openings, and acover including spaced, angularly disposed locking surfaces mating withand retained by said body locking members to secure said cover to saidbody, said cover being resiilent and urging said device leads intoelectrical contacting engagement with said connector leads.

3. A connector body according to claim 2, and characterized in that saidbody includes an upwardly extending base portion having a planarmounting section and grooves aligned with said openings for receivingextensions of said connector leads that extend transversely thereof,said extensions of said leads having end sections substantially parallelwith said connector leads and coplanar with said planar mountingsection.

4. In combination, a microelectronic device including a body portion andoppositely extending, substantially coplanar arrays of device leads, aconnector body including a central recessed portion within which saiddevice is nested and spaced elongate locking members disposed toopposite sides of said recessed portion and having openings throughwhich said device leads extend, outer wall portions of said elongatelocking members being directed angularly inwardly and downwardly to formlocking surfaces, connector body leads aligned with said openings, and acover including spaced, angularly positioned locking surfaces matingwith and retained by said connector body locking members to secure saiddevice to said connector body and to urge said device leads intoelectrical contacting engegement with said connector body conductorleads.

5. A combination according to claim 4, and characterized in that saidconnector body includes an upwardly extending base portion having aplanar mounting portion and grooves aligned with said openings andreceiving portions of said connector body leads that extend transverselyof the latter, said portions of said leads having end sectionssubstantially parallel with said connector body leads and coplanar withsaid planar body mounting portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,164,750 1/1965 Miller 339-l7 X3,165,674 1/1965 Swan 317-101 D. 202,937 11/1965 Foshee et al.

3,293,590 12/1966 Woolsey 339-192 3,297,974 1/1967 Pittman 339-1173,311,790 4/1967 Vizzier et a1 339-174 X 3,319,166 5/1967 Coleman339-174 X MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

J. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner.

